Give Me Something To Work With And I'll Set Your World On Fire
by a62belle
Summary: Or 3 times undercover-ing improves the Skoulson relationship. I don't own anything except for the story line and Jorge Garrett (aka John Garrett's younger bro)


very beat of his heart seems to be a reminder why it shouldn't be beating in the first place. A feeling that he would be in less pain if it wasn't beating.

Garrett was dead. Ward had killed him. They'd even been there to see the body. Ward was the hero. The knight in shining armour who saved Skye from Garrett when she was captured to decrypt her drive Garrett had cheated out of Ward.

They've kissed in private a few times and are practically definitely dating. Coulson hates it.

He knows he's stupidly jealous and that Ward can offer Skye what he could never have, but it doesn't stop his heart from aching. Not even close.

So he evades Skye as much as possible, difficult, when the entire team appointed her Deputy Director.

"What've we got?" he asks Skye, casually enough after the usual 'good morning'.

"Hydra's orchestrated a vintage jewellery convention to sell a premium pure-chitauri metal bracelet to an anonymous agent. Dealer knows neither name nor looks, not even profile. All he knows is that he has a very sound knowledge of vintage artefacts and a young twenty-something partner/girlfriend who has the password," Skye replies, straight-forwardly.

"So, why the sudden hurry to pass items to it's members?" Coulson asks, trying to look as casual as possible.

"Apparently, the chitauri bracelet contains a DNA-specific poison. It could fall into an entire water source and yet only kill the person it's intended to kill. They're starting an assassination and only the anonymous agent is capable of pulling off such a stunt. The poison is slow-acting, and is thus untraceable," Skye replies, shuddering, "what we need to do is get hold of the bracelet, it also contains DNA-specific recording, which means we can find out who and where anybody that's ever touched this bracelet is, unless they're six feet under."

Coulson nods, this will be one of the first operations Skye will ever design, and he wants to listen to everything in great detail.

"So, which agents do we choose?" He asks, letting her take the full reign.

She gives him 'the look'.

"You and me of course! Don't get me wrong, Ward, May and Triplett are all good agents, but Ward and Triplett don't seem the type to get all vintage-y and May can't pass for twenty-something," Skye replies.

Coulson's heart flutters at this. He knows it's unprofessional but he'd like very much to act as Skye's boyfriend.

Later on, Skye gives her first briefing to the entire team.

"The undercover personas are Charlotte Dyne and Richard Andre. Charlotte is a writer/journalist, they met at an international vintage jewellery fair Charlotte was covering, been dating for two months. Any questions?" Skye asks.

Not a bad false love story, the romantic part of Coulson thinks.

"One, why is Coulson going in?" Ward asks, a careful hint of jealousy in his voice.

"Easy. Coulson-related missions are classified as Level 8 or above Hydra, while the dealer is only Level 6. You and Triplett on the other hand, are classified at Level 4, which means the dealer, if he's a loyal Hydra, would probably have seen photos of you before," she replies quickly.

They nod, Ward doesn't seem to happy though.

"Why you and not me?" May asks the next question.

"They know for a fact that the girlfriend is in her twenties," Skye replies, "Any questions I've not thought of the answer of?"

The whole team shakes their head, but inside, Ward feels the familiar feeling of his insides curling in rage and jealousy. He doesn't understand it, doesn't want it, but, boy, is it strong.

The mission starts without a hitch.

An usher comes immediately to show them the piece of jewellery they wish to see, "Would you like to see anything in particular, Mr and Mrs. ….." he begins.

"Andre," Coulson replies, his voice pompous, sounding every bit as if he owns the place, "And this is my girlfriend, Miss Dyne. What would you like to see, baby?" his voice drops to an intimate, you're-mine type of voice that embarrasses the usher. Skye manages to prevent herself from looking surprised. Coulson couldn't know how much she wanted him to talk to her in that tone in a non-undercover time.

"Rosalita Devonche," Skye replies, smiling as she says the password.

The usher nods, immediately bringing them to the counter.

"You in a relationship?" the dealer asks suspiciously, offering them the chitauri bracelet.

Without warning, Coulson moves towards her, the kiss is open-mouthed and dirty, Skye smelling of a distinct and rare perfume. In the kiss, he places all his emotions, all his love one the line, yet with self-control, so it's only seen, and cannot be felt by Skye.

To his delight, Skye begins kissing back.

"Okay, love birds, we've got it," the dealer says, disgruntled, passing them the bracelet. They pretend to pay him with a false, Hydra-bank-account check and leave.

One of the more successful missions of late.

"What the hell Skye, why'd you kiss him?" Ward's voice is loud in Skye's bunk, Coulson walking by by chance.

"We were undercover Ward, it doesn't mean anything," Skye replies, with a dead sound to her voice.

Good, Coulson thinks, he now knows that the kiss didn't mean as much to Skye as it did to him. He should have known the false love story couldn't be real.

It doesn't stop his heart from breaking another time.

It doesn't stop him from watching screwball comedy to try to relieve the pain. It doesn't work.

The next time is even worse. They need to find a S.H.I.E.L.D. fugitive and fast, before Hydra can exploit him.

It was undercover again. In order to reach the fugitive , they need to enter Hydra's HQ, the only known place being a Hydra-owned getaway resort for the rich and famous.

Another mission, another love story, Coulson thinks once more. The profile is a rich womaniser, and, of course, his young, hot mistress-of-the-moment. Once again, Ward steps in and offers himself for the position. Once again, he's denied.

"You wouldn't have the 'dramatic effect' we need," Skye had argued. So, once again, Coulson was chosen for the operation.

"You sure you want me in such an….intimate role?" Coulson had asked in the privacy of their offices.

"Of course I do," Skye had replied.

This was why they were in such a situation now.

"Mr. Jorge Garrett, my girlfriend, Skylar West," Coulson introduces as he meets their target.

"Mr Houston, how nice to meet you," Jorge replies. After the relative boringness of John Garrett, the fresh charisma of his younger brother is a welcome challenge.

He leads them personally to their private room in the resort.

"What do we do now?" Skye asks as she unpacks.

"Find Garrett, shoot him in the back of the head with an ICER, I'll take care of the rest," he replies.

As it turns out, it's easier said than done. Jorge had apparently received a tip-off about such a mission. Within seconds, he has Skye defenceless and at gun-point.

"Please, I'm not an agent," Skye lies.

"Liar, you've your heart written on your sleeve," he drawls, suddenly three gunshots are heard, he slumps, falling to the ground.

Skye runs into Coulson's arms as he lets the gun drop. Not a kiss, but, strangely, he has to admit, he enjoys the embrace more.

She doesn't seem to want to let go.

And she doesn't for a long time.

"Skye, the next time you're going undercover as someone's girlfriend, I damn well better be your boyfriend!" Ward threatens her.

Coulson sees it all on the security tape.

"Jeese Ward, it's just undercover. But if you're going to be so particular, you can have the next op," Skye replies.

He's so gotten over heartbreak, hasn't he?

It's quite amazing how many times the human heart can break and yet still beat.

He likes screwball comedy, enjoys the way people of weird backgrounds and totally unlikely situations can fit together. But he's learnt it the hard way that screwball comedy is screwball comedy, not reality.

The next undercover operation is not quite what they expect. Yes, it's Hydra related once more, but with a twist.

Ward and Skye play the orthodox couple, but Coulson is needed as an add-on, a sideshow. He takes on the role of a family friend who's 'taking care' of the young couple as they attend the Hydra-hosted party and soon takes to exploring after getting bored.

They are discovered all too quickly.

At the realisation only one can escape before the guns shoot at them, Ward dives for the exit, leaving his 'girlfriend' and Coulson behind.

It isn't Ward, the man that's supposed to love her beyond everything that comes between her and the bullet.

It's Coulson.

He wakes up in a hospital bed exactly 28 hours after his shooting.

"Oh my god, A.C., you're awake," a sleepy Skye says as excitedly as she can master in her sleep-derived state, "Everybody, A.C.'s awake!" she shouts.

With that, the whole team immediately goes into the room, which he now knows is the med-pod.

All except one.

"Where's Ward?" he asks, noticing immediately the conspicuous gap.

"He's gone," Skye says, with a slight venom, "I dumped him once May and Triplett saved both of us. He couldn't accept the rejection, so he applied for another assignment."

"I'll be stepping in as the specialist if you don't mind, sir," Triplett offers.

Coulson nods. After Ward's cowardly stunt, he cannot say he's unhappy Ward's gone.

After a half hour of pleasantries, the team senses Skye and Coulson need to be alone, and leave, on the excuse they need to prepare for another mission.

"Hey, A.C. Guess this would be a good time to tell you I'm in love with you?" she says, slightly shy.

Skye, shy? That's not right, but she's finally uttered the words Coulson would do anything to hear.

"Me too," he offers.

"A.C. , I didn't actually think you were the best man for the undercover jobs, but I wanted to be your girlfriend badly. I settled on Ward after I thought I would never be able to have you," Skye explains.

He pushes himself up to gently caress Skye's lips with his own, "I've wanted you for forever, Skye, you don't know how heartbroken I was when you started dating Ward."

"I never dated him, I just, pretended to love him," Skye replies, slightly flustered.

He loves the words she's said, more than the hug, more than the kiss.

This is a love story, and Coulson is happy it's not an undercover one.

He asks for a DVD.

"The Importance of Being Earnest? Seriously?" Skye says, laughing as he asks her to fetch it from his room to watch together, "how'd you know it's my favourite comedy?"

She fetches it and sits on the bed with him.


End file.
